GRAMMAR 101

ENGLISH FOR
MEDICAL SCHOOL STUDENT
MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY

Titus Emilius
Present continuous
The present continuous is used to talk about present situations which we see as
short-term or temporary. We use the present simple to talk about present situations
which we see as long-term or permanent.
In these examples, the action is taking place at the time of speaking.
•It's raining.
•Who is Kate talking to on the phone?
•Look, somebody is trying to steal that man's wallet.
•I'm not looking. My eyes are closed tightly.

In these examples, the action is true at the present time but we don't think it will be
true in the long term.
•I'm looking for a new apartment.
•He's thinking about leaving his job.
•They're considering making an appeal against the judgment.
•Are you getting enough sleep?

In these examples, the action is at a definite point in the future and it has already
been arranged.
•I'm meeting her at 6.30.
•They aren't arriving until Tuesday.
•We are having a special dinner at a top restaurant for all the senior managers.
•Isn't he coming to the dinner?
Present simple
We use the present simple to talk about actions we see as long term or permanent. It is a
very common and very important tense.

Here, we are talking about regular actions or events.

•They drive to the office every day.
•She doesn't come here very often.
•The news usually starts at 6.00 every evening.
•Do you usually have bacon and eggs for breakfast?

Here, we are talking about facts.

•We have two children.
•Water freezes at 0° C or 32° F.
•What does this expression mean?
•The Thames flows through London.

Here, we are talking about future facts, usually found in a timetable or a chart.
•Christmas Day falls on a Monday this year.
•The plane leaves at 5.00 tomorrow morning.
•Ramadan doesn't start for another 3 weeks.
•Does the class begin at 10 or 11 this week?

Here, we are talking about our thoughts and feelings at the time of speaking. Although these
feelings can be short-term, we use the present simple and not the present continuous.
•They don't ever agree with us.
•I think you are right.
•She doesn't want you to do it.
•Do you understand what I am trying to say.
Past simple
We use the past simple to talk about actions and states which we see as completed in the past.

We can use it to talk about a specific point in time.

•She came back last Friday.
•I saw her in the street.
•They didn't agree to the deal.

It can also be used to talk about a period of time.

•She lived in Tokyo for seven years.
•They were in London from Monday to Thursday of last week.
•When I was living in New York, I went to all the art exhibitions I could.

You will often find the past simple used with time expressions such as these:
•Yesterday
•three weeks ago
•last year
•in 2002
•from March to June
•for a long time
•for 6 weeks
•in the 1980s
•in the last century
•in the past
Past continuous
We use the past simple to talk about actions and states which we see as completed in the
[Link] can use it to talk about a specific point in [Link] use the past continuous to talk about
past events which went on for a period of [Link] use it when we want to emphasize the
continuing process of an activity or the period of that activity.
(If we just want to talk about the past event as a simple fact, we use the past simple.)
•While I was driving home, Peter was trying desperately to contact me.
•Were you expecting any visitors?
•Sorry, were you sleeping?
•I was just making some coffee.
•I was thinking about him last night.
•In the 1990s few people were using mobile phones.

We often use it to describe a "background action" when something else happened.

•I was walking in the street when I suddenly fell over.
•She was talking to me on the phone and it suddenly went dead.
•They were still waiting for the plane when I spoke to them.
•The company was declining rapidly before he took charge.
•We were just talking about it before you arrived.
•I was making a presentation in front of 500 people when the microphone stopped working.
Present perfect
(Please note that British and American English have different rules for the use of this tense. The
explanation and exercises here refer to British English. In American English, it is often acceptable to
use the past simple in some of these examples.).We use the present perfect when we want to look
back from the present to the [Link] can use it to look back on the recent past.

•I've broken my watch so I don't know what time it is.

•They have cancelled the meeting.
•She's taken my copy. I don't have one.
•The sales team has doubled its turnover.

When we look back on the recent past, we often use the words 'just' 'already' or the word 'yet' (in
negatives and questions only).
•We've already talked about that.
•She hasn't arrived yet.
•They've already met.
•Have you spoken to him yet?
•Have they got back to you yet?

It can also be used to look back on the more distant past.

•We've been to Singapore a lot over the last few years.
•She's done this type of project many times before.
•We've mentioned it to them on several occasions over the last six months.

When we look back on the more distant past, we often use the words 'ever' (in questions) and 'never'.
•Have you ever been to Argentina?
•Has he ever talked to you about the problem?
•I've never met Jim and Sally.
Present perfect continuous
This tense is used to talk about an action or actions that started in the past and continued until
recently or that continue into the future:

We can use it to refer to an action that has finished but you can still see evidence.
•Oh, the kitchen is a mess. Who has been cooking?
•You look tired. Have you been sleeping properly?
•I've got a a stiff neck. I've been working too long on computer.

It can refer to an action that has not finished.

•I've been learning Spanish for 20 years and I still don't know very much.
•I've been waiting for him for 30 minutes and he still hasn't arrived.
•He's been telling me about it for days. I wish he would stop.

It can refer to a series of actions.

•She's been writing to her regularly for a couple of years.
•He's been phoning me all week for an answer.
•The university has been sending students here for over twenty years to do work experience.

The present perfect continuous is often used with 'since', 'for', 'all week', 'for days', 'lately',
'recently', 'over the last few months'.
•I've been wanting to do that for ten years.
•You haven't been getting good results over the last few months.
•They haven't been working all week. They're on strike
•He hasn't been talking to me for weeks.
•We've been working hard on it for ages.
•I've been looking at other options recently.
•He's been working here since 2001.
Past perfect
We use the past perfect simple to talk about what happened before a point in the past. It looks back
from a point in the past to further in the past.
•I hadn't known the bad news when I spoke to him.
•I checked with the supplier and they still hadn't received the contract.
•She had already told him before I got a chance to give him my version.

The past perfect simple is often used when we report what people had said/thought/believed.
•He told me they had already paid the bill.
•He said he believed that John had moved to Italy.
•I thought we had already decided on a name for this product.

Past perfect continuous

We use the past perfect continuous to look back at a situation in progress.
•It was a good time to invest. Inflation had been falling for several months.
•Before I changed jobs, I had been working on a plan to reduce production costs.
•We had been thinking about buying a new house but then we decided to stay here.

We use it to say what had been happening before something else happened.
•It had been snowing for a while before we left.
•We had been playing tennis for only a few minutes when it started raining.
•He was out of breath when he arrived because he had been running.

We use it when reporting things said in the past.

•She said she had been trying to call me all day.
•They said they had been shopping.
•I told you I had been looking for some new clothes.
Future “Going to”
There is no one 'future tense' in English. There are 4 future forms. The one which is used most
often in spoken English is 'going to', not 'will'.

We use 'going to' when we want to talk about a plan for the future.
•I'm going to see him later today.
•They're going to launch it next month.
•We're going to have lunch first.
•She's going to see what she can do.
•I'm not going to talk for very long.

Notice that this plan does not have to be for the near future.
•When I retire I'm going to go back to Barbados to live.
•In ten years time, I'm going to be boss of my own successful company.

We use 'going to' when we want to make a prediction based on evidence we can see now.
•Look out! That cup is going to fall off.
•Look at those black clouds. It's going to rain soon.
•These figures are really bad. We're going to make a loss.
•You look very tired. You're going to need to stop soon.

We can replace 'going to go' by 'going'.

•I'm going out later.
•She's going to the exhibition tomorrow.
Future “Will”
Some people have been taught that 'will' is 'the future' in English. This is not correct.
Sometimes when we talk about the future we cannot use 'will'. Sometimes when we use 'will'
we are not talking about the future.
We can use 'will' to talk about future events we believe to be certain.

•The sun will rise over there tomorrow morning.

•Next year, I'll be 50.
•That plane will be late. It always is.
•There won't be any snow. I'm certain. It's too warm.

Often we add 'perhaps', 'maybe', 'probably', 'possibly' to make the belief less certain.
•I'll probably come back later.
•He'll possibly find out when he sees Jenny.
•Maybe it will be OK.
•Perhaps we'll meet again some day.

We often use 'will' with 'I think' or 'I hope'.

•I think I'll go to bed now.
•I think she'll do well in the job.
•I hope you'll enjoy your stay.
•I hope you won't make too much noise.

We use 'will' at the moment we make a new decision or plan. The thought has just come into
our head.
•Bye. I'll phone you when I get there.
•I'll answer that.
•I'll go.
•I won't tell him. I promise.
Zero conditional
When we talk about things that are generally or always true, we can use:
If/When/Unless plus a present form PLUS present simple or imperative
•If he gets there before me, ask him to wait.
•When you fly budget airline, you have to pay for your drinks and snacks.
•Unless you need more space, a small car is big enough for one person.

Note that we are not talking about a specific event but something which is generally true.
In the condition clause, we can use a variety of present forms. In the result clause, there can
only be the present simple or imperative.
•If you visit London, go on the London Eye.
•If unemployment is rising, people tend to stay in their present jobs.
•If you've done that, go and have a coffee.
•When you go on holiday, take plenty of sun cream. It'll be very hot.
•When I'm concentrating, please don't make so much noise.
•When I've finished an article, I always ask Kate to read it through.

Notice that 'unless' means the same as 'if not'.

•Unless he asks you politely, refuse to do any more work on the project.
•Unless prices are rising, it's not a good investment.
•Unless you've been there yourself, you don't really understand how fantastic it is.
The first conditional
We use the First Conditional to talk about future events that are likely to happen.
•If we take John, he'll be really pleased.
•If you give me some money, I'll pay you back tomorrow.
•If they tell us they want it, we'll have to give it to them.
•If Mary comes, she'll want to drive.

The 'if' clause can be used with different present forms.

•If I go to New York again, I'll buy you a souvenir from the Empire State Building.
•If he's feeling better, he'll come.
•If she hasn't heard the bad news yet, I'll tell her.

The "future clause" can contain 'going to' or the future perfect as well as 'will'.
•If I see him, I'm going to tell him exactly how angry I am.
•If we don't get the contract, we'll have wasted a lot of time and money.

The "future clause" can also contain other modal verbs such as 'can' and 'must'.
•If you go to New York, you must have the cheesecake in Lindy's.
•If he comes, you can get a lift home with him.
Second conditional
The Second Conditional is used to talk about 'impossible' situations.
•If we were in London today, we would be able to go to the concert in Hyde Park.
•If I had millions dollars, I'd give a lot to charity.
•If there were no hungry people in this world, it would be a much better place.
•If everyone had clean water to drink, there would be a lot less disease.

Note that after I / he/ she /it we often use the subjunctive form 'were' and not 'was'. (Some people
think that 'were' is the only 'correct' form but other people think 'was' is equally 'correct' .)
•If she were happy in her job, she wouldn't be looking for another one.
•If I lived in Japan, I'd have sushi every day.
•If they were to enter our market, we'd have big problems.

Note the form 'If I were you' which is often used to give advice.
•If I were you, I'd look for a new place to live.
•If I were you, I'd go back to school and get more qualifications.

The Second Conditional is also used to talk about 'unlikely' situations.

•If I went to China, I'd visit the Great Wall.
•If I was the President, I'd reduce taxes.
•If you were in my position, you'd understand.
Note that the choice between the first and the second conditional is often a question of the
speaker's attitude rather than of facts. Compare these examples. Otto thinks these things are
possible, Peter doesn't.
•Otto – If I win the lottery, I'll buy a big house.
•Peter – If I won the lottery, I'd buy a big house.
•Otto – If I get promoted, I'll throw a big party.
•Peter – If I got promoted, I'd throw a big party.
•Otto – If my team win the Cup, I'll buy champagne for everybody.
•Peter – If my team won the Cup, I'd buy champagne for everybody.

Note that the 'If clause' can contain the past simple or the past continuous.
•If I was still working in Brighton, I would commute by train.
•If she were coming, she would be here by now.
•If they were thinking of selling, I would want to buy.

Note that the main clause can contain 'would' 'could' or 'might.
•If I had the chance to do it again, I would do it differently.
•If we met up for lunch, we could go to that new restaurant.
•If I spoke to him directly, I might be able to persuade him.

Also note that sometimes the 'if clause' is implied rather than spoken.
•What would I do without you? ("if you weren't here")
•Where would I get one at this time of night? ("if I wanted one")
•He wouldn't agree. ("if I asked him")
Third conditional
We can use the Third Conditional to talk about 'impossible' conditions, impossible because
they are in the past and we cannot change what has happened.

•If I had worked harder at school, I would have got better grades.
•If I had had time, I would have gone to see him. But I didn't have time.
•If we had bought that house, we would have had to rebuild the kitchen.
•If we had caught the earlier train, we would have got there on time but we were late.

Notice that the main clause can contain 'would', 'could' or 'might.
•If I had seen him at the meeting, I would have asked him. (But he wasn't there so I didn't.)
•If I had seen him at the meeting, I could have asked him. ( But he wasn't there so it wasn't
possible.)
•If I had seen him at the meeting, I might have asked him. (But I'm not sure. Perhaps if the
opportunity had arisen.)
•If I had paid more attention in class, I would have understood the lesson.

Also notice that sometimes the 'if clause' is implied rather than spoken.
•I'd have done it. ("if you had asked me but you didn't.")
•I wouldn't have said that. ("if I'd been there.")
•He wouldn't have let him get away with that. ("if he had tried that with me.")
Have something done
If you 'have something done', you get somebody else to do something for you.
•I'm going to have my hair cut.
•She's having her house redecorated.
•I'm having a copy of the report sent to you

In informal English, we can replace 'have' by 'get'.

•We're getting a new telephone system installed.
•They will be getting the system repaired as quickly as they can.
•I got the bill sent direct to the company.

We can also use 'have/got something done' in situations where something bad has
happened to people or their possessions. This is not something they wanted to happen.
•John had all his money stolen from his hotel bedroom.
•We had our car damaged by a falling tree.
•I got my nose broken playing rugby.
Had better
We use “had better” plus the infinitive without “to” to give advice. Although “had” is the
past form of “have”, we use “had better” to give advice about the present or future.
•You'd better tell her everything.
•I'd better get back to work.
•We'd better meet early.

The negative form is “had better not”.

•You'd better not say anything.
•I'd better not come.
•We'd better not miss the start of his presentation.

We use “had better” to give advice about specific situations, not general ones. If you want
to talk about general situations, you must use “should”.
•You should brush your teeth before you go to bed.
•I shouldn't listen to negative people.
•He should dress more appropriately for the office.

When we give advice about specific situations, it is also possible to use “should”.
•You shouldn't say anything.
•I should get back to work.
•We should meet early.

However, when we use “had better” there is a suggestion that if the advice is not followed,
that something bad will happen.
•You'd better do what I say or else you will get into trouble.
•I'd better get back to work or my boss will be angry with me.
•We'd better get to the airport by five or else we may miss the flight.
Will be doing
We can use 'will be doing' to talk about something that will be in progress at a particular
moment in the future.
•This time next week, I'll be sitting on the beach in Barbados.
•I'll be thinking about you all back in the office – and I'll be laughing.
•We'll be enjoying ourselves too, boss. We won't be doing any work while you are not here
.
We can use 'will be doing' to talk about future events that are fixed or decided.
•I'll be visiting your country on a regular basis. In fact, I'm going to be coming next month.
•He'll be looking after the factory until we can appoint a new manager.
•They'll be thinking about this very carefully over the next few months.

We can use 'will be doing' to predict what is happening now.

•Try phoning his hotel. He'll probably still be having breakfast.
•They'll be deciding who gets the contract at this very moment. I'm very nervous.
•She's not in her office. She'll be having lunch in the canteen.

We can use 'will be doing' to ask extremely politely, and with no pressure, about future plans.
•Will you be eating with us this evening?
•Will you be needing anything else?
•Will they be joining us for dinner?
Will have done
We can use 'will have done' to talk about what will have been achieved by a certain
moment in time.
•We'll have been in these offices for eight years next month.
•She'll have visited ten countries in twelve days by the time she gets back.
•I'll have finished this project by Friday.

If we want to emphasize the continuity of the activity, we can use the continuous form.
•I'll have been working here for 35 years by the time I retire.
•She'll have been driving for more than fifteen hours straight by the time she gets
here.
•They'll have been working with us for 15 years by the end of this year.

We can also use 'will have done' to predict what we think has already happened at
present.
•He'll have already read the report by now. Too late to change it.
•She'll have boarded her plane. It's too late to contact her.
•They'll have decided by now. We should hear the result today or tomorrow.
Suppose
We often use 'suppose' to mean 'imagine' or 'guess'
•I suppose you'll be meeting Danielle when you go to Paris?
•When you weren't there, I supposed you must have been held up.
•I suppose you two know each other?

Notice that 'suppose' is not normally used in the continuous form. We do not
usually say 'I am supposing'.
•Now I suppose we'll have to do something else.
•We're waiting for John and I suppose he must be stuck in traffic.
•At this moment I suppose it doesn't matter.

Notice that for 'imagine not' or 'guess not' that we make 'suppose' negative, not the
other verb.
•I don't suppose you know where Mary is?
•I don't suppose he'll do anything.
•I don't suppose you have a Nokia phone charger here?

When responding to an idea with 'suppose', you can use 'so' to avoid repeating the
idea that has already been expressed.
•Is Susan coming to this meeting? ~ I suppose so.
Asking questions 1
The basic rule for asking questions in English is straightforward: Invert the order of the subject and
the first auxiliary verb.
•It is snowing. = Is it snowing?
•He can speak German. = Can he speak German?
•They have lived here a long time. = Have they lived here a long time?
•She will arrive at ten o'clock. = Will she arrive at ten o'clock?
•He was driving fast. = Was he driving fast?
•You have been smoking. = Have you been smoking?

If there is no auxiliary, use part of the verb 'to do'.

•You speak fluent French. = Do you speak fluent French?
•She lives in Brussels. = Does she live in Brussels?
•They lived in Manchester. = Did they live in Manchester?
•He had an accident. = Did he have an accident?

Most questions with question words are made in the same way:
•How often does she use it?
•Why don't you come?
•Where do you work?
•How many did you buy?
•What time did you go?
•Which one do you like?
•Whose car were you driving?
Asking questions 2
In the section Questions 1, we looked at how to ask direct questions. To make a
question, we invert the order of the subject and the first auxiliary verb.
•Where is Johnny?
•Has he found it yet?

If there is no auxiliary, use part of the verb 'to do'. For example:
•What time did he arrive?
•How often do you play tennis?

However, when we ask for information, we often say 'Do you know…?' or 'Could you
tell me….?' These are indirect questions and more polite.
 HAVE A NICE DAY
&
Don’t forget
TO HAVE A GOOD TIME